What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face...
When you're a parent, every day brings a "fresh hell" to deal with. In other words, there's always something. Think of us as your funny mom friends who are here to remind you: you're not alone, and it won't always be this hard.
We're Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables, both busy moms of three kids, but with completely different parenting styles. Margaret is a laid-back to the max; Amy never met a spreadsheet or an organizational system she didn't like.
In each episode of "What Fresh Hell" we offer lots of laughs, but also practical advice, parenting strategies, and tips to empower you in your role as a mom. We explore self-help techniques, as well as ways to prioritize your own needs, combat stress, and despite the invisible workload we all deal with, find joy amidst the chaos of motherhood.
If you've ever wondered "why is my kid..." then one of us has probably been there, and we're here to tell you what we've learned along the way.
We unpack the behaviors and developmental stages of toddlers, tweens, and teenagers, providing insights into their actions and equipping you with effective parenting strategies.
We offer our best parenting tips and skills we've learned. We debate the techniques and studies that are everywhere for parents these days, and get to the bottom of what works best to raise happy, healthy, fairly well-behaved kids, while fostering a positive parent-child relationship.
If you're the default parent in your household, whether you're a busy mom juggling multiple pickups and dropoffs, or a first-time parent seeking guidance, this podcast is your trusted resource. Join our community of supportive mom friends laughing in the face of motherhood!
451
Best Of: The Small Things That Drive Moms Insane
Sometimes it’s the little things that make us the craziest: the plastic thingies on juice box straws. The never-ending “Mom?” with that question mark at the end. Here are all the teeny-tiny things about mom life that still manage to drive us insane.
49 min
452
Ask Amy: Tips for Flying with Little Ones
Flying with little ones this summer? We’ve got tips for what to pre-load on your phone, how to manage takeoff and landing discomfort, and how to decide whether you want to get on the plane first–or absolutely last.
5 min
453
Fresh Take: Kate Casey on Big Families and "Rea...
This week we brought in Kate Casey, host of the interview podcast "Reality Life with Kate Casey", to talk with Margaret about living with a big family, what the Kardashians are REALLY up to, and why America runs on true crime.
34 min
454
Dropping the Rope
What fight are you no longer willing to have? Is it making the bed? Eating what you cook? Matching pants with shirts every day? Sometimes the smartest thing you can do in your endless tug-of-war over small things is to drop the rope.
36 min
455
Ask Margaret: Can I Stop the Flow of Cheap Plas...
LEGOs. L.O.L. Dolls. Barbies. The plastic is coming from inside the house. Is it possible to ask family and friends to stop giving our children so many cheap plastic toys? Margaret, who is firmly anti-plastic herself, weighs the pros and cons.
4 min
456
Fresh Take: Amber Briggle on Supporting Trans Kids
Amber Briggle is an activist, speaker, and proud parent of her transgender son. In this episode, she discusses how to support trans kids in today’s political climate as well as her own journey parenting her son through his transition.
33 min
457
We Caught Our Spouses Being Awesome
Supporting us in our careers. Building sandboxes. Flossing. We love it when our partners knock it out of the park. We asked our listeners about times they caught their spouses being awesome, from big favors to small gestures.
44 min
458
Ask Amy: The Top Tip for Yelling Less
Are you exhausted by how many times you have to repeat what you say to your kids before they listen? Usually only when you finally yell? In this “Ask Amy” Amy explains her top stop-yelling tip, which comes from the world of dog training.
6 min
459
Fresh Take: Dr. Ibram X. Kendi on Raising Antir...
It can feel scary to discuss racism with our kids. But it’s the best way for us to protect them from its harms– and as Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, author of HOW TO RAISE AN ANTIRACIST, explains, kids can approach this work more easily than we might expect.
27 min
460
The Smallest Hills We'd Die On
The book is always better than the movie. Brunch is dumb. And wind chimes are mean. We asked you about the smallest hills you have died on—the issues you just won’t wave the white flag for no matter what. And we came across some fightin’ words.
39 min
461
Ask Margaret: Picky Eater Update!
Margaret gives an update on her famously picky eater. Does the kid who once rejected almost every food except pizza now eat a wider range of foods? Tune in to find out!
8 min
462
Fresh Take: Kate Swenson of "Finding Cooper's V...
Kate Swenson started “Finding Cooper’s Voice”while searching for answers after her son’s autism diagnosis. Her book FOREVER BOY is about Kate’s journey to acceptance, and how sharing her own family’s triumphs and challenges became a road to advocacy.
29 min
463
Brave Parenting in a Scary World
Brave parenting doesn’t mean acting like what’s happening in our world isn’t scary, or that we must present our kids with perfect solutions. It means meeting our kids where they are, discussing their feelings, then deciding together what to do next.
36 min
464
Ask Amy: How Can I Get Out of My Mom Funk?
When we’re overwhelmed by the 24/7/365 nature of parenting, we tend to blame ourselves for being in a “mom funk,” and look to attitude adjustment as the best solution. In response to this listener question Amy suggests that it’s the workload that might need adjusting, more than the mindset.
4 min
465
Best Of: Dr. Lynyetta Willis on Breaking Out of...
Ever felt like things are going pretty well but happiness is missing from your parenting and relationships? In this “Best Of” episode, Dr. Lynyetta Willis discusses "stable misery" and explains how we can create more joyful harmony in our lives.
39 min
466
Mom Rage
Mom rage engenders debilitating shame. Where did it come from? Are we actually the worst parent who’s ever parented? But mom rage has common triggers and a predictable path along which it builds- which also means there are things we can do about it.
42 min
467
BEST OF: Handling the News With Our Kids
When the unthinkable happens, how are we supposed to explain it to our children? What do we say, when are they old enough, how do we answer their questions without making them more frightened? In this episode recorded in July 2021, Amy and Margaret discuss how to handle the news with our kids.
42 min
468
Introverts vs. Extroverts (and Making Room for ...
Are you an Amy or a Margaret? AKA: are you an introvert or an extrovert? Turns out, you can enjoy socializing but still be an introvert or require some alone time but still be an extrovert. And there are ways to raise kids who are the opposite of you.
40 min
469
Ask Amy: My Kid Is Screaming Like a Banshee All...
What is with the turn-on-a-dime switch from the sweet, demure kid we had yesterday to the demon who woke up today? Is something really wrong or is this a phase? Here’s how to help your kids through the inevitable “red brain” stages of disequilibrium.
7 min
470
Fresh Take: Matthew Fray on Strengthening Our R...
We’ve all left dishes by the sink. Either that, or we’ve yelled at our partner for doing so. In this episode, Matthew Fray explains how leaving dishes by the sink caused his marriage to implode—hint: it wasn’t just about the dishes.
38 min
471
Unwelcome Surprises
What unwelcome surprises have you experienced on your parenting journey? We asked our listeners to tell us what they didn’t expect when they first started out, and they listed everything from torturous theme days to baby headbutts.
44 min
472
Ask Margaret: Should I Force My Kids to Give Hugs?
We all have relatives who demand big bear hugs when saying goodbye. That may all be well and good for some kids, but what if our kids just aren’t huggers? Margaret discusses how to protect kids’ autonomy while keeping the peace with Grandma.
6 min
473
Fresh Take: Lynn Lyons and Robin Hutson of "Flu...
When anxiety is part of family systems, our well-meaning attempts to assuage kids can instead serve to further reinforce it. Psychologist Lynn Lyons and Robin Hutson, co-hosts of the podcast Flusterclux, explain what actually works for anxiety.
39 min
474
Will We Ever Get Back to Normal?
When will things go “back to normal"? Is that even a question we should be asking ourselves anymore? How do we learn to live with a new normal? Amy and Margaret ponder over how to keep running a race where the finish line keeps moving.
41 min
475
Ask Amy: Am I a Terrible Person for Being Jealo...
When others have easier experiences of parenting than we do, it's easy to get jealous. But is that wrong? Amy responds to a listener struggling with envy towards friends whose births and postpartum experiences were far easier than hers.
5 min